Dragon Quest VIII: Journey for Lost Memories
by Inner Dragon2007
Summary: Eight, a young knight with an unknown past and Yangus, his powerful bandit friend, start a journey of a lifetime when Eight's home is crused by a jester who stole a dangerous scepter. Add a tomboyish magican and a knight, then you have a amazing journey!
1. From Bad To Worse!

**I've finally done it! I'm on my fifth story for this website! Yay for being a beginner! I've really liked the game Dragon Quest for a long time, but there were really some parts that I wanted to change, so I got started on my fanfic the moment I got it. Just so you know, Eight is the name of the hero since I actually grew to like that name! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**

Part I: The Monster and the Fortune-Teller

"Now, Eight. You go find Master Rylus and ask him if he knows where Dhulmagus might be. He did train him after all," a small green monster said to the 18-year-old boy with a blue shirt under his dark yellow overcoat with a belt tied securely around him and grayish-green pants with black traveling boots, when they were finally in Farebury. The boy had gentle pure black eyes and brown hair that was hidden a little under his red bandanna, aside from the wild unkept parts that managed to go through.

"What will you do," Eight asked the monster as they entered the town.

"Me? Well, I guess Medea and I will wait for you here until then. We don't want to cause uproar or anything," it replied.

Eight nodded in agreement; it would be a VERY bad idea if anyone saw the half-huma, half-troll monster. Eight walked a little away from the monster to go to the wagon, where a man older than him was looking for something. "C'mon Yangus let's go," Eight said his stocky bandit friend that was travelling with him. The man was definately was a odd sight to see. He had a odd green spikey thing on his head that Eight assumed to be a helmet of some sort, along with a large fur vest of some sort that, unlike Eight, he wore no shirt under. Yangus had a large ocean green pants with with a long red stash to hold it up, with a knife that obviously was for emergenices since he had never really seen Yangus use itwhile they had travelled together.

"I'm right behind ya, Guv. Lemme just get somethin' first," Yangus replied as he got his monster mallet.

"Yangus, we're in a town. I don't think that there's a need to bring your mallet around here," Eight told him, looking at him with an amused look.

"Ah, don't worry yer 'ead 'bout it, Guv. Its fer people who get any funny ideas with you," the bandit said to him.

"You know, I can take care of myself Yangus. I don't need any help with fighting someone," Eight told the bandit as they walked away from the monster.

"Bandit Rule # 4 Look out for yer buds no matter what happens. Ya 'elped me go on the straight, even when I attacked ya. I 'ave ta look out fer you," Yangus said sternly.

Eight sighed a little; sometimes he wondered if Yangus was a long lost over-protective brother that he got seperated from at birth. When Yangus noticed the sigh, he smiled in victory and the two finally stopped talking and asked people about Rylus, a well-known wizard that trained the jester that they were looking for. But all the people didn't seem to know. Many gasped when Eight mentioned his name and stayed quiet. "Well, Guv why don't we check the pub 'ere? I reckon we might 'ear somethin' 'bout the old geezer," Yangus told the tired soldier.

"We better find out something about him. I'm starting to get tired with this search. Besides it's almost night. We have to get back to the others before something bad happens," Eight said with a groan. With that agreement settled they entered the bar. It was oddly loud and very lively compared to some of the other places, but that was the last thing on the minds at the time; they needed to know about Rylus. Eight groaned silently; these people looked a little too drunk to get answers out of them "Hello there, can I help you," a bunny girl that worked at the asked Eight.

"I'm just looking for someone," Eight said; to be honest he didn't want to draw so much attention from anyone. INCLUDING bunny girls; they made him a little nervous.

"Oh! Is that your pet? It's so adorable! What's it's its name," she asked pointing at Eight's pocket. In it was a mouse that had light brown fur, a long furry tail, and spiky dark brown hair that went through the middle of his head to his back. He looked at Eight with his large black eyes and squeaked.

"Oh that's Munchie. He's been traveling with me since I was a kid," Eight said as he started to stroke the creature's head softly.

"Well, I hope that you and Munchie will enjoy yourselves in here. As for information about someone you might want to go to the barkeeper. He knows a bunch of things," the lady said.

Eight thanked her and went to the barkeeper to ask him. But then he saw a middle aged man with wild black hair and a small mustache who seemed to have had too many drinks and he backed away from them. This was partly because he wasn't sure about the guy and partly because he overheard him and the barkeeper mention something about Rylus. "So what if I saw it?! So what if I foretold the fire?! If I had stopped it then what?! It would only have led to another disaster that's what," the man said loudly.

"I'm sorry Kalderasha sir I don't follow. If you KNEW about the fire shouldn't you at least have warned Master Rylus," The barkeeper said to the man.

"Ah, poor Rylus. I can't believe he's dead," Kalderasha said shaking his head.

Eight eyes widen with fright when he heard this, wondering if this was also Dulmangus's doing. "Wot's wrong, Guv? Ya look like you 'eard somethin' bad," Yangus said with a worried look on his face. So Eight told Yangus all the stuff that he had heard. "Ya sure you didn't 'ear wrong? Let's ask that guy nearby and see if you're right," Yangus said. When they asked him they didn't like what they heard. "What? Master Rylus? I'm sorry but a fire killed him last night. Between you and me I think he got murdered before the fire even started. If you want more details about it ask the town fortune-teller, Kalderasha. But he has been telling some no-good fortunes these days. I don't know what happened. He used to be so good at it," the man told Eight. "Well, we might as well ask him," Eight said to Yangus. So Eight went to Kalderasha to ask him about Rylus. "What? What do you want," Kalderasha said, looking at him with a grumpy look. Suddenly Kalderasha eyes widen when he saw Eight. Then he went closer to get a better look at Eight and said," Hmm… you! Come; show your face to the great Kalderasha… yes, so it is you!" Before Eight could ask him what he was talking about he heard a shout and a young man appeared at the door. "C-come quick! T-there's a monster outside," he stammered. With that the men in the pub followed him. "That can't be good," Eight said to himself and he grabbed Yangus and quickly ran to the middle of the town. "What's happening," a girl asked Eight.

"There's a monster in the middle of the town," Eight said calmly.

"What!? Shouldn't you be panicking more," the girl said as he ran passed her.

Eight didn't say anything but in his mind he thought," If you all knew who he was you wouldn't be panicking…"

As soon as they were in the middle of the town they saw the monster and the pearly white horse surrounded by people. "This ain't good Guv! C'mon," Yangus said.

"We better do this quickly," Eight told Yangus, who knew what to do since they both had experience in this stuff.

With that they went in the middle of the crowd, stopped the people from throwing rocks at the monster, and quickly got the monster into the cart and started to leave. The young man that told everyone about the monster tried to throw a stone at Eight but Eight turned swiftly around, caught the stone, and tossed it back at the guy, aiming at his head. As soon as they left the town the monster started to stamp his feet, saying," Well, that was a fine reception! Don't they realize who I am?! Judging a book by its cover! Don't they know it's what's inside that counts!?"

"Yeah, you can say that again. If they knew you were King Trode under a curse and the horse was the princess, Meda, they might've reacted differently," Eight said shaking his head.

"Well, enough of that. Eight, did you find Master Rylus," King Trode asked.

"We did King Trode but… I think we were too late," Eight said sadly.

"What wrong Eight," King Trode asked. So Eight and Yangus told him everything, from the search all over town to what they heard at the pub about Rylus. "What!? He's dead!? Oh, no, no, no," King Trode said with shock. They all remained silent until the king finally said," Well, I guess there's no use crying over spilt milk. It's Dulmangus we're after! He's the one that cursed the princess and me after all! He's the one who made us look so ridiculous! I was hoping that Master Rylus could help us locate him. Well no matter! We have nothing to gain staying here. Let's be on our way." Before they left a voice said," Please don't go! I want to ask you for a favor." They all turned around and saw a girl a bit younger than Eight standing near the town gate. They all looked at each other with surprise but the king finally said," Are you not afraid of me, young lady?"

"I've dreamt of you… I've dreamt of a strange creature that was sort of halfway between a human and a monster come the town with a stocky man and a young solider with a red bandanna and I dreamt that they could make wishes come true," the girl said to him.

"A strange creature!? Are you referring to me," King Trode said with an insulted look on his wrinkled face as Yangus howled with laughter.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be rude," the girl said quickly.

The king glared angrily at Yangus and then said," Well, I've had worst things said to me today. You know, you remind me of my Meda. You both are about the same age. A-anyway you said you had a dream about us? Most peculiar."

"I'm sorry. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Valintina, daughter of the great fortune-teller, Kalderasha. I'll explain everything at my house. It's by the well at the far end of town. I'll be waiting for you," Valintina said as she went back in town.

"Wot's she talkin' 'bout? 'Come 'round my 'ouse she says," Yangus said after a while. Then King Trode finally said with huge pleasure, "Mmmagnificent! She wasn't afraid to look at me at all! Not one bit! Ah, she reminds me of my Meda! Right then! Eight, my boy go see if we can give this girl a helping hand! I'll wait for you out here. That's the last time we go into a barbaric town like that." Eight and Yangus looked at the kinda little funnily but both went back in the town to go see what the girl wanted. "Whew! It's a good thing that's its night! I guess we just 'ave ta go to the 'ouse. But ta make things a bit more excitin' lets do a bandit race, aye," Yangus said with eagerness. So they both leapt noiselessly from roof to roof. Yangus was in a great mood because of the race and Eight smiled to himself, remembering the mysterious past that few knew and that he cherished the bits with his life, as they finally reached Valintina's house. "Man, Guv! You're really good at these races for a kingdom soldier! You'd think that you were a bandit," Yangus said watching as Eight leapt boldly and gracefully ahead to the house. When they went in the house they saw Valintina sleeping near a crystal ball. Eight started to shake her gently until she woke up. "Ah, you came! I-I'm so sorry I must've drifted off how rude of me. I wanted to ask you about this crystal ball… I'm getting ahead of myself aren't I? Should I start at the beginning," Valintina asked when she got off of the chair.

"Yeah, maybe you should," Eight said, wondering if it was a good idea waking her up.

So she started to explain that her dad used to be the world's greatest fortune-teller that had an ability that allowed him to find anything, be it lost treasure to missing people. "But then", she said to them"one day he had lost all his powers. Nothing he foretold came true. It's probably because he stopped using a real crystal ball. This glass ball isn't-" Before she could finish Kalderasha came in. When he saw Eight he glared at him said," Aren't you that boy from the pub, why are you here? Never mind, I think I know. I do not know what my daughter has asked you, but you can forget it! I am fine as I am!" Kalderasha turned to his daughter as walk up stairs," I am going to bed. Valintina, say your farewells and show our visitors to the door." When they were sure that he was asleep, Valintina began to talk again. "I'm sorry about my father. But he's the one that's really suffering. So I want to ask you to do something for me. Can you get him a new crystal ball, one that's big enough to bring back his powers," Valintina asked pleadingly.

Eight stayed quiet for a while but he finally said," Sure, we'll get him a new one."

The moment those words came from Eight's mouth, Valintina hugged him tightly in gratitude, causing Eight to blush a little in the process. "Really? You will? This is exactly how it happened in my dream! So far everything is coming true! I also dreamt that there's one in a waterfall cave at the south of town. I guess that only the daughter of the Great Kalderasha could know a thing like that," Valintina said smiling at Eight. Eight thanked her for the information and left to tell King Trode. When he told the king everything he finally said with excitement," Mmmagificent! Such devotion to her father! Just how a daughter should be! Aside from that, if we help Kalderasha get his powers back then we might be able to find Dulmangus. So we'll kill two birds with one stone! But we'll check tomorrow. You and Yangus go rest at the inn tonight. I'm sure no one will give you trouble after how Eight demonstrated his power. We should get ready for the things we might have to fight to find the ball tomorrow. In the morning, we leave for the waterfall cave!"

* * *

**Go first chapter!** **Hope you all enjoyed how it all began. I tried to keep everyone into character as much, although Eight may change a bit during his journey. Oh, and can you give me your opinions while your at it? I want to know what everyone thinks so far. Mainly about the story, characters, and if you found it interesting. **


	2. Fight in Fallwater Cave!

**Hieveryone. Sorry it's taking a little long for writing each chapter. But I got school and all kinds of stuff; I only human people! Well enjoy the second chapter

* * *

**

**Part II: Fight in the Fallwater Cave!**

"Oh, you are awake now sir? I couldn't see outside but the little man slept well in the cart," the innkeeper told Eight when he finished getting up from the bed.

"Thanks for telling me," Eight said as he stretched his muscles. When he took a quick look at Yangus to check on him, he quickly put his hand over his mouth to hold back his laughter. Yangus had a nightcap on with funny-looking bandit clothes that must have been pajamas. He was also snoring and drooling on his mallet. "That's some impressive snoring. I hope the waterfall that Valintina was talking about isn't the one that Yangus is making on his mallet or we're going to have some problems," Eight thought as he got ready to go and buy some herbs, some better armor, and a new sword. As soon Eight had gotten all the herbs for the visit to the waterfall cave, he went back to the inn to get Yangus. "Jeez! I know I kinda overdid it with the rock throw but they don't need to be nervous when I'm around! I guess this is how it's going to be. It's not like anything changed since I was little, right Munchie," Eight said to the little pet mouse, who was poking his head out of the pocket.

"I don't know maybe things will be a bit different," Munchie replied, climbing up to Eight's shoulder and scratching his ear with one of his hind legs; he didn't like how the people were acting toward Eight but at the same time he knew he couldn't really argue. All he could do was encourage him.

Eight looked to the mouse from the corner of his eye and sighed a little. "Yeah maybe you're right. Just remember not to talk in front of the townspeople or they'll think that we're insane. It's bad enough that someone saw you," Eight told his pet sternly. He didn't really know how Munchie could do it but he spoke well english like some slimes were able to do. But people panic more at the sight of a odd looking mouse talking than a Slime; so Eight usually hid Munchie unless they were outside of the towns.

"Well, you shouldn't keep me in your pocket if you don't want this to happen! You're just asking the humans to get curious," Munchie told Eight; he knew Eight couldn't really argue with that statement. Humans were too curious for there own good.

Eight just rolled his eyes, wondering why he took the mouse along with him in the first place. This thought suddenly caused Eight to pause. _"Now that I think about it why am I even traveling with the king? I don't even know what my own motive are sometimes. I wonder… does my motive involve Dulmangus... or my past," _Eight thought to himself.

He wasn't able to think more deeply about this; suddenly Yangus was calling to him from the south gate. "Aye Guv, we gotta get movin' already! Granddad's been wonderin' if you ended up gettin' lost 'ere. So stop daydreamin' already and let's get that crystal ball!…"

It was at first a quiet walk along the road, with nothing but the sound of Medea's hooves. And to be honest it was getting a little boring for Yangus. "Oh yeah Guv. Did ya find a new sword to replace that old, rusty one the old Granddad gave ya," Yangus asked as they followed the dirt road to see if it led to the waterfall.

"What!? I'll have you know that it was the only sword in good condition in the kingdom after Dulmangus ruined it, so be grateful! If it wasn't for me Eight wouldn't be fighting with you Yangus," King Trode said with anger; Yangus simply ignored him and focused on Eight's answer.

Eight decided to calm the king down with reason. "I know that King Trode but as much as I appreciate what you did Yangus is right; I need a new sword to fight monsters with. This sword is the one that low rank kingdom soldiers use so it's not really that strong. Besides, who knows when this sword's gonna break on me in one of the monster battles," Eight said as he took out the sword and looked at its somewhat dull blade.

"Well, does that mean you bought a new one," Yangus asked Eight.

"I did find one. It was one that was made out of copper and it looked like a pretty decent sword. But it cost 256 gold and we don't have that much money; we need to get some herbs and sheilds anyway," Eight told Yangus sheepishly.

"Aye, yer beyond right Guv. We're pretty much on a tight budget since the old geezer didn't bring any gold coins from the kingdom. The monsters 'round 'ere don't carry much with'em either," Yangus said with a long sigh; usually Yangus would've stole some money from some snobby rich guy but he knew Eight wouldn't have approved. When the topic was done they all stopped for a moment to rest. That is when they saw the bushes shake. Eight quickly had his hand on his sword's handle and Yangus held his monster mallet in his hand, ready for some excitment. Only to see a Slime, a small baby blue monster that was the shape of a raindrop, appeared in front of them and said, " Slurp, slurp, slurrrrrrrp!"

The two looked at eachother and put their weapons away in relief; Yangus did seem a little disappointed though. "Wot the heck did that thing say? Guv, I'm tellin' ya I'll never understand why the Slimes like you of how you understand them, even when they're not talkin' English. Well, whatever; wot's it trying to tell us," Yangus asked as he watched the Slime jump up and down in a panic and Eight kneeling low, nodding his head once in a while.

"He's saying that if we're going to Waterfall Cave we better be careful. There's a sea monster named Geyzer that lives in the cave and he's a fierce fighter. There's a rumor among the monsters that he's guarding something special," Eight translated to Yangus, listening closely to the Slime.

"Well, Guv do you think that's it's the crystal ball that he has in the cave," Yangus asked as Eight said his thanks to the Slime when it told Eight something else to him and went away.

"Probably. We won't know until we're there," Eight said; he was smiling a little to himself.

Soon they were finally able to make it to Waterfall Cave, which was a gorgeous waterfall mountain with a large, uninviting entrance. "Meda and I will wait out here for you," the king suddenly said as Eight and Yangus were about to go in the cave.

"Wot the!? Why the heck do we 'ave ta get it on our own," Yangus said aggressively.

"You should have known that nobles like us wouldn't go in. I'll give you these torches but that's all I can really do for you. Well, good luck men," King Trode said as he handed them each special fire torches.

Yangus grumbled a little under his breath but let it go as they started "Hey Guv. If that Geyzer monster does 'ave the crystal ball and he doesn't wanna give it what will we do," Yangus asked Eight as they walked in the cave.

Eight grinned a bit mischievously and pulled out his sword as he said," Then we'll have to take it by force; we need to get that crystal ball no matter what."

" Now that's wot I'm talkin' 'bout! A good fight," Yangus said eagerly as they were soon engulfed by the darkness of Waterfall Cave…

"Whoa! This place is huge," Eight said when they were in the middle of the cave. Eight wasn't even exaggerating when he said this! The cave was enormous with many tunnels, and a dampness that clung heavily to the air.

"That bird shoulda at least warned us it was this big in 'ere! It's gonna be like lookin' for a needle in a 'aystack," Yangus said to Eight a little disapprovingly.

"Don't worry about it Yangus. You're forgetting that I'm a natural monster tracker. I should be able to find Geyzer's trail around here," Eight said as he started to look for the monster's trail; there was a hint of pride in his voice.

"Wot do ya mean Guv? Didn't that Slime say that Geyzer live at the center of Waterfall Cave in the waterfall? Wouldn't he just stay there," Yangus said to Eight blankly.

"Not really, Yangus. Although he does live there, the waterfall's fish are too fast for him to catch. Just as any other water monster, he would leave the waterfall to get some fish from the small pools around here, for any easy meal...Ah, here's a trail! And it's fresh so that means he had probably got his morning fish just a little while ago," Eight said, looking at a slimy, wet trail and touching it. So that began the search as Eight, Yangus, and Munchie started to follow the trail to see if it led to Geyzer. Along the way there were many monsters looking for some fights and a human meal but Eight and Yangus were able to beat each one. Munchie even helped out by snatching items like herbs from the monsters when they weren't looking. They were now deep in the cave and even closer to the waterfall. " That is the last time I fight a Dancing Devil! If I do one more Surtly dance because it used the same spell on me I'm gonna scream," Eight said as he rubbed his feet.

"I don't know, you were dancin' so well along with them," Yangus said; he looked like he was trying to hold back his laughter

Eight scowled a little at his friend but then slowly began to smirk. "Yeah, just like how you decided to dance too; you were SO graceful doing your ballet," Eight and impishly; the sarcasm was heavy in his tone of voice

Yangus's face turned red in embrassed him and quickly changed the subject. "I don't wanna stay 'ere any longer either! Let's just get that crystal ball and get outta 'ere," Yangus said as they started to walk again.

" What's wrong Yangus? You scared," Eight said teasingly again.

" Wot!? I'm not scared of some sea urchin in a dark cave! I just don't like the wetness in the air! It makes me feel like I had an accident in my shorts," Yangus said stubbornly.

Eight pasued a little and decided to bother Yangus a little more. "Who knows Yangus, you might've actually had an one. We better get you your other bandit shorts," Eight said as he pretended to look through his knapsack.

" Hey! How old do ya think I am Guv," Yangus said angrily as Eight looked back at him and laughed lightheartedly.

"Who goes there," asked a Hammerhead, stubby monsters with huge sledgehammers that usually help guard certain places for powerful monsters.

Eight looked at the Hammerhead then looked at the large hole that it was guarding closely. Then he looked back at the Hammerhead and said casually, "What's up, Hammerhead?"

"Wow you're not afraid to talk to me? I met a man who came down here and he ran away when he saw me," the Hammerhead said with surprise.

" I hear you loud and clear but if you don't mind can you let us through? We have to get something for a friend," Eight told the monster.

But when Eight stepped forward the Hammerhead took out his sledgehammer and pointed it at Eight as he said, "No way! As you can see, I'm in charge of guarding the entrance to Geyzer's waterfall! If you want to go to him you have to fight me! Do you have the guts to do it!? Well, do you!?"

Eight looked at him with a bored expression, took out his sword by the handle and pointed it at the monster's neck and sinplyu saying, "Sure. I'll fight you."

"Y-you w-will? Y-you're pretty brave which means y-you must be an s-strong fighter," The Hammerhead stammered nervously. He stayed quiet for a long time, eyeing Eight's blade the whole time. Then he suddenly moved aside. "I know! As a reward for your limitless courage, I'll let you pass without hurting you. Be careful now."

"Wot the heck just happened," Yangus asked as they went through.

"They may guard things but if you don't show any fear they tend to be cowards," Eight said as casually as before; he had dealt with monster like that before. But when they were near the entrance to the center of the cave Eight started to move a different direction. Yangus didn't understand what Eight was up to but he loyally followed right behind him. Soon they were at a cave with a dead end. "Why ya here, Guv? This is just a dead end," Yangus told Eight. Eight didn't answer but he went behind one of the jagged rocks, pulled out a treasure chest. He opened it up and took out a copper sword, bright and in good condition. "How the heck did you know that a copper sword was there," Yangus asked with surprise.

"The Slime told me. I asked him if there was any swords I could use and he told me where it was," Eight said with a sly smile.

Yangus smiled in pride. "You really are like a bandit! Well are you ready to go have a chat with that monster," Yangus asked as they went back to the tunnel that leads to the waterfall.

Eight looked at his new sword and smiled as he said," You bet I am." So they slowly walked through the last dark, damp tunnel that led to Geyzer's territory…

"Guv can I ask a question? What's the sea monster goin' to do if we're 'ere," Yangus said as they went through the tunnel to the center of the Waterfall Cave; they could all hear the fain thundering of the waterfall getting closer.

"He'll most likely attack us for being here. Sea monsters like Geyzer are very protective over their territory. Not to mention they hate uninvited guests," Eight said calmly like he could somewhat careless.

"Hey Munchie you know a bunch 'bout the monsters. Can you tell us somethin' 'bout Geyzer," Yangus said; he was one of the few that knew Munchie could talk.

Munchie thought a while as he scratched his ear again. "Sure I know about Geyzer. He's a master monster-in-training of the sea monsters. He is well known for the knowledge he is able to obtain. None of the monsters know how he gets the information on things without leaving the waterfall. But he's pretty powerful since a master sea monster named Tenta is training him. You have to be careful of his claws. They hold some type of curse that disables your movement for a while and that allows him to cut you into ribbons," Munchie told them in his same soft, songlike voice.

"Gee that makes me feel SO much better. Thanks for tellin' me dat his claws 'ave curses in 'em and he'll rip me in ribbons, Munchie," Yangus said sarcastically; NOW he was even more unnerved than before.

"My pleasure! I always willing to help," Munchie said happily; he was oblivious to the sarcasm in his voice.

"Dat wasn't a compliment," Yangus grumbled under his breath. Soon they were at the end of the waterfall. "Blimey, this place looks bigger than the cave," he said when they were out of the tunnel.

"Hey Yangus look. Do you think that's the crystal that Valintina saw in her dream," Eight asked as he pointed at a silvery sphere that was floating near the waterfall. They quickly went to it to get a closer look at it. " Well Yangus, is it real or not? You know more about jewels and stuff than me," Eight asked as he watched Yangus observe the silvery sphere.

Finally, after a few minutes, Yangus grinned. "Yep! This is a crystal ball all right! And in such good condition too… Wot the heck? I think there something scratched under it," Yangus said as he tilted his head to see the words better. Eight also tilted his head and read out loud," Watch where you throw stuff, Halfwit."

" I don't like the sound of that, Guv" Yangus said cautiously.

"C'mon Yangus. What's the worst that can happen," Eight told him as started he reached to get the crystal ball. But before he got it a creature swiftly swam up the waterfall and came out. Eight leapt back from surprise, tripped over his feet, and fell on top of Yangus. "Wha, ha, ha! Surprise! I never thought that you humans would be able to reach my waterfall so fast!" Eight got up and brushed himself off as he and Yangus stood before the merman. Eight observed that Munchie wasn't kidding about the monster one bit. His red scales gleamed brightly, showing how healthy and powerful he was. His large claws and sharp jaws were very unnerving but Eight step forward bravely and bowed to show his respect for this for this high- ranking monster. "I am Eight and these are my companions, Yangus and Munchie. I apologize for coming in on short notice but you have something we want," Eight said looking at the crystal ball.

"Does your business involve this brystal call, er, I mean, crystal ball," Geyzer asked quizzically.

"Well sorta-," Yangus began but no sooner had he said this Geyzer attempted to slash Yangus into pieces. He would have got his way too, if Eight hadn't grabbed him and pulled him out the way. "Hey! What's the big idea," Eight yelled at the monster more in surprise than anger.

Geyzer only crackled a wicked laugh."At last we feet, mace to mace! I've been looking for the tortune feller who hit me with the crystal ball! Now you pill way, I mean, will pay!"

"You know what I think? You should go to some anger management classes and English while you're at it. Yeah, you definitely need some of those with the way you talk," Eight couldn't help but comment sarcastically to Geyzer. This time the monster roared angrily and suddenly slung a purplish mist toward Yangus. "Yangus! Look out!" Eight pushed his friend out of the way and was in the way of the mist. But to everyone's surprise the mist disappeared before even touching Eight, who had now drawn his sword and was charging toward the monster.

"This cannot be! You should be cursed," The monster said in alarm as he barely dodged Eight's sword

"You shouldn't underestimate me so much!" Eight turned to Yangus, his eyes twinkling in excitement. "Yangus time to take this by force!" Soon the battle began between Geyzer and the two warriors. It was equally matched, even if Geyzer was an elite monster, for this battle had Eight and Yangus, two who had a good experience when it came to fighting monsters, showing great teamwork and tactics. The battle was still difficult however, since Geyzer still had his cursed claws and brute strength and speed. But Eight soon noticed that Geyzer had a scar on his forehead, showing one vulnerable part on his armored body. So Eight sprinted toward the merman, dodged his swift claws, and slammed the flat side of his sword right on his scar. "Ow! The pain, the pain! I yield," Geyzer cried in agony as he went back into the waterfall. Eight and Yangus stood away from the monster and waited for the monster to explain why he had attacked. "Ever since I've got this wound, I haven't been right quite," He started as he began to glare at Eight " and it's all because of you!"  
"What the heck did I do? I just came to get the crystal ball," Eight said with confusion, wondering if Kalderasha had something to do with the monster's wound.

"What!? You don't know!? But that mean you're not the true owner of the crystal ball," Geyzer groaned in realization. But he looked at Eight, the only swordsman who had not only able to defeat him but managed to stand after that battle, even though he was somewhat shaken. "So strong, so strong to withstand my fearsome might. You are no tortune feller." Geyzer took a closer look at the two and began to smile. " Wait, could you be... the waterfall rears many humors you know. One of the newest one has to do about a castle covered in cursed thorns. Only three survived and left the castle, a young soldier, a troll and a horse. That same boy saved the other two and soon lead a hart and corse on a path infested with monsters. But he kept moving on that lonely road, searching for the one who had ruined his kingdom." Eight was quiet when Geyzer said this, remembering that bitter memory he had. "I do not know what you want with this brystal call, but you can take it. I except dehands, or is it defeat," He said as handed the crystal ball to Eight. "I will help you out of the cave, though. You appear a little weary." With that Geyzer grabbed Eight and Yangus, slung them on his back and swam as fast as he could up the waterfall to avoid monsters. The ride up the waterfall wet Eight and Yangus and Geyzer's slimy skin made them feel very uncomfortable. But they just held on tight, not saying a word until they had finally had reached the exit, where Eight gave Geyzer a herb for the wound as the monster turned to go back to the center of his cave. "Oh, by the way should you meet the owner of the crystal ball tell him this from me." Geyzer took a deep breathe and shouted from the top of his lungs," DON'T THROW THINGS IN THE FALLWATER!!" When Geyzer had swam away Eight looked at Yangus with a smile. "Well, that was okay. We got the crystal ball and if you ignore the fact that he was about kill us, he's really polite; a little bit of a temper but he's okay."

Yangus just turned to Eight and asked blankly, "He meant the waterfall, right Guv?"

Eight thought for a while. "Yeah that pretty much sums it up," Eight said as they headed toward the cave's exit.

"But I guess that we can't blame the poor old bloke. I mean it musta 'urt bein' whacked on yer noggin by some crystal ball. It makes me start wonderin' actually. Why do you think Kalderasha threw his own crystal ball away 'ere, eh?"

Now Eight stopped and turned to his friend. "How do you know that it belongs to Kalderasha?"

"Guv, I've been a legendary bandit for a really long time now. You should've known I would've figured it out in a snap." Now Yangus turned to Eight and took his time to ask a question that was on his mind. " Wot exactly did he mean about wot he was saying?" Now Eight froze when Yangus said this and his face turned pale with a look of horror. " Um...uh... Aye, Guv! I almost forgot, the old geezer on this mountain wanted me to give you some cheese. He said to feed it to Munchie when we're in a pickle," Yangus said as he handed the cheese to Eight. As Eight turned to talk to Munchie Yangus decided to make an oath to never bring up the subject again, for he knew that he had brought up something that hurt Eight deeply...

"Humph, I knew you were coming back." Kalderasha glared angrily as Eight and Yangus as they entered with the crystal ball in their hands wrapped in a silk cloth. Eight didn't answer but simply stood before the fortune teller, holding the crystal ball closely to him. "See? Even without the crystal ball, the great Kalderasha's eyes can see farther than anyone else."

" I take it that you throw the crystal ball in the waterfall because you foretold something that you regret to this day," Eight said cooly; he made sure to keep a bit of a distance between him and Kalderasha. Even Yangus had his guard up just in case.

Kalderasha slammed his hand on his table angrily as he shouted, "This is no need for me to tell you! It doesn't matter how many times you bring it back, I will just throw it away again!"  
Eight suddenly remembered what Geyzer told him and said,"You shouldn't throw things in the waterfall, it might hurt someone in the head."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Now Kalderasha looked at the two travelers as if they had gone mad. He quickly got out of being surprised and stomped toward Eight and Yangus. "Listen to me, no one knows why I throw away my crystal ball, not even my daughter knows and I am not about to tell some unwanted stranger! Give that crystal ball! This time I will smash it into pieces!"

But Eight wasn't the least bit fazed. " If I remember correctly, Valintina was the one who asked me to get the crystal ball in the first place. I am not about to break my promise by letting you break this." Now Kalderasha was more furious than before and he charged at Eight with a dagger. "Wait Father! Don't do this!" Before Kaldersha could strike Eight Valintina stood in front of him and stopped her father. "I've know! I've know why you throw away the crystal ball!"

Kalderasha stood there in alarm, staring at his daughter in horror. "Y-you've know all this time? Then how could you not hate me for what I've done?!"

"But you were just doing your job, Father. Besides you were the one who took me in after that. When I was a helpless baby."

"But-."

Kalderasha began to say but Eight stopped him. He looked at the fortune-teller straight in the eye and began to speak again. "Whatever you did is not your fault. You were just doing your job as a fortune-teller. Even if it was terrible you atoned for what you did by taking in Valintina when she had no where else to go. You had atoned for your sin and I'm sure that both the Godless and Valintina's parents forgive you." Kalderasha looked at Eight and then at his daughter. When he didn't move Eight slowly went toward him and carefully put the crystal ball in Kalderasha's hands. Kalderasha was quiet for a while but he finally walked toward the fortune-telling table, moved his glass ball, and gently placed the crystal ball where it belonged. He turned to Eight and said, "You should go rest up there for a while. I'll tell you what you seek tomorrow." Eight, understanding that those were the only things he was going to tell them, nodded and lead Yangus upstairs. Before Eight went to the bed Valintina went right up to him and hugged him for the second time. "Thank you for helping my father."

Eight looked at her with a small smile and simply told her, "I always keep my promise." Valintina just nodded her appreciation and went away. When Eight was going in the bed he said knowingly," No, Yangus."  
"Aye c'mon Guv! With that charmin' of yers you can get yerself a nice bird to settle down with and have a few kids 'ere and there. I still can even believe ya don't have even one bird. Why is that Guv?" But even as Yangus asked him this, exhaustion consumed him and he soon fell asleep, snoring so loudly that Eight knew he wasn't pretending. Eight closed his eyes for a while; thinking about the questions that he was unable was unable to tell Yangus. He felt pain from both secrets but of both of them, one was with him longer than the other. This bitter-sweetness... he could never truly forget this mysterious pain but at the same time he couldn't tell anyone about it either. Right then he knew his motives of this journey, besides destroying the demonic jester, Dhulmagus. Eight opened his eyes calmly as he said to himself, "I will take back what is rightfully mine soon enough, My lord." With that Eight was soundly asleep, not realizing the words that he had said at all, nor did he realize that his gentle pure black eyes turned into a golden, penetrating gaze that resembled the eyes of the most powerful creature known to man...

* * *

And that's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed the second chapter; I tried to make it as interesting as possible! But what is Eight's past like? How did Eight meet Yangus? Where is Dhulmagus? Why did Eight's eyes change color? Why am I asking the reader all these question?

Eight: Yeah, why are you asking these question?

ID: EIGHT! WHY ARE YOU HERE!?

Eight: Well, can't I do that 'next chapter' thing you do with your other characters?

ID:...Ah, what the heck, you're kind of my character too. Go ahead and knock their socks off!

Eight[Smiles Please stay tune for the next chapter 'The Anger of a Magician; A Healer of Hearts!" How did I do?

ID: WOW 0.0

Eight: Did I do something wrong?

ID: No. I just can't believe how polite you are. You're normal! Awesome! LOL

Eight[Still smiling Thank you for the compliment Inner Dragon; I'm actually a little flattered

ID: Just ID will do. Well see you all in the next chapter! Please review!


	3. Munchie's Aid

I know, I know; it took me so long just to add a 3rd chapter, but it was pretty hard to figure out how to make this event a bit interesting. But it's here, you guys can read, and I'll figure out a way to add the other chapter as soon as I can. And A message for Lucker. If writing a fanfic is plargerism, then there are a lot of people doing it. But so you don't sue me, I do **NOT** own the dragon quest series. Well, enjoy

* * *

Chapter III: Munchie's Aid

"WHHAATT!? Dhulmagus killed Master Rylus!?" King Trode was very alarmed with the news that Eight had informed him the next morning, letting Yangus butt in once in a while to add something he missed.

Eight tried very hard not to scowl at the king when he had pretty much screamed his head off. "_This is why I wanted to avoid telling him."_ But he just continued his report. "Yeah; according to Kalderasha, he managed to slip away just as we got there. So we were just a minute too late of capturing him." Eight smiled brightly as he continued. "But he did manage to point us in the way that Dhulmagus went."

"Well, where, Eight? Out with it, my boy," King Trode urged Eight.

"After he told us about Master Rylus's death, he saw Dhulmagus going to the southern check point and across. Kalderasha didn't see anything after that."

Yangus scoffed. "More like he got completely distracted when we asked wot else 'e could see. That bloke ended up lookin' on wot was ON the ball not IN it." Eight looked at him slight exasperated look. "Ya know it's true Guv."

Eight just smiled slightly; he actually found the morning very funny because of that. He turned back to the king and continued more seriously. "We should go before anyone else gets hurt. Who knows what has happened during the time he was there."

"But what about the guards that prevented us from going through the checkpoint in the first place?" Trode watched anxiously as Eight hung his head and shook 'no'. "Oh no…but those men had done nothing wrong."

Meda neighed and nodded her head in agreement.

Eight closed his eyes and simply started down the road. "Whether you did something wrong or not, it doesn't matter. If you're in his way, Dhulmagus will annihilate you. He kills for no reason remember?"

Trode hung his head and found no point to argue with Eight. After all, the king himself had seen Dhulmagus's power first hand. And why question the only knight who had been able to escape Dhulmagus's wrath in the first place? The group walked without much of a word as they went along the dirt path, where they soon reached the checkpoint. All the things Eight spoke of were true; there were no remains of the soldiers who were diligently guarding the gate. All there was left were scorch marks and a few black remains from the large gate that now had an enormous gaping hole. There were gray ashes on the ground where the two soldiers once stood. And they all assumed it was what remained of the men. Eight didn't let the group think too much about it, tugging a little roughly at Meda's reins to urge her forward. Trode had said something in a sharp, angry voice about 'being gentler with the princess' as they walked immediately down the road. But Eight wasn't exactly paying attention; he seemed a little distracted about something. Meda softly nudged him with her nose in worry. Something was on his mind; she could tell that much. Eight didn't seem to be in the mood to talk though, so he simply stroked her nose to show her to show he was fine. She nodded and went back to paying attention to the road….

It was a long walk. They encountered many old monsters they have already fought and a few new ones like Beetle Boys and Fencing foxes. But they made it through without many problems….except from the Bodkin archer incident. Poor Yangus; his butt was hurting the entire ride because of the ambush. All in all, they made it in one piece long enough to reach the small town Eight had been planning on stopping by. "Alexandria? Why did you wanna stop 'ere, guv?"

"It's a long way to the southern continent, so we should stock up on a few supplies and get some new weapons. Beside," Eight added as he tried his best not to laugh "you need some medicine for your butt after that last fight, right? We should just rest up here while we get the chance."

"Aye, I guess you're right- 'ey wait just one second! You're makin' fun of me, aren't ya Guv!?"

"I'm not making fun of you; I just found it funny that the Bodkin archers aimed for your butt."

"Dat's the same thing!"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" The two stopped walking and looked down at a blue-haired boy with a Viking kind of helmet. It was easy to tell that this kid was very reckless and proud; it was all written on his face. His friend with the pot on his head seemed a bit more on the quiet side and not as brash as the other boy. This wasn't what concerned Eight though; the two boys were outside the entrance of Alexandria. If a monster came by, those two could end up getting hurt.

"'Ey squirt, you shouldn't be playin' around the entrance like that. A monster might come and skin ya alive," Yangus remarked to them.

The reckless boy pointed at Yangus in utter defiance. "Who are you calling Squirt, Tubby!? I am the great Bangerz, guard of Alexandria! This is my partner, Mash," He added, pointing to the other boy. "Unless you have business with Jessica's family, you're not allowed in?"

"Says who!?"

"Says me!"

Eight glanced from the boys to the entrance of Alexandria. "For guards, I can't believe you're letting that Beetle boy sneak in."

"What!? Where," Bangerz said, turning around to se the monster.

"Now Yangus!" Eight and Yangus quickly grabbed the two boys by the shirt and took them inside the small town. Yangus put Mash down gently, but Eight continued to hold on to a struggling Bangerz. "You shouldn't be out there, even if you are guards. You'll just attract the monsters' attention."

Bangerz ignored him, continuing to struggle until Eight finally placed him down. As soon as he was a safe distance, he took out a wooden sword, pointing at the two travelers threateningly. "Look who's talking; you're just a bunch of travelers! You don't know what this town's been through!"

"Guv, I don't mind fightin' an' all, but we'll get in trouble for beatin' down kids. Do you 'ave a plan on you," Yangus whispered to Eight.

All that came from Eight was a shrug. "I don't need to do anything. Someone's already come to solve the problem." He smiled lightly to himself at the sight of the boys getting hit in the back of the head by an old lady.

"Now you two, stop giving these travelers trouble!" The old lady shooed the two boys away and turn to apologize to the two men. "They don't mean any harm, but Bangerz is a little too headstrong about becoming this town's guard. Then the incident has gotten them even more determined to act as our guards-"

That caught Eight attention immediately. "I'm sorry if this question's out of place, but what had happened," He asked politely.

"One of the family members of Alexandria had been murdered; Alistair to be exact. The only boy of the family." She shook her head sadly. "He was such a strong young man; to think he got killed by a burglar in the tower. Jessica and her mother were devastated when they found his body." The old lady looked back at the two men worriedly. "You came here to stock up on supplies right? Well, I will suggest staying away from the tower at the moment. Whoever killed Alistair must have been a powerful foe. I don't know if he's still there, but it's best to keep a safe distance away from the place. It's not like you young'uns know how to open the door anyway."

Eight thanked the lady for the advice and walked to the stores. After buying new armor and some more herbs for emergencies, He went toward the inn to talk with Yangus. Both leaned against the wall, their faces showed the gravity from the news they had been told. "Doesn't what she told us sound familiar," Eight asked calmly.

"You mean 'ow like it sounds like the story of ol' Rylus' death," Yangus answered.

"Yeah, that's it."

"…Aye Guv, didn't that granny say somethin' 'bout his family? Why don't we ask wot's-'er-name if she knows anythin' about the incident?"

Eight brightened a little. "That's actually a good idea, Yangus. I just hope that a family as rich of themselves will let in travelers such as us."

Yangus got off the wall and followed behind Eight toward the mansion they had spotted. "But Guv, if you just told'em what you are, they might welcome you with open arms. Maybe a banquet fit from a knight and his companion."

Eight raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that because you're hungry or because we'd go inside easily?"

"Both," Yangus answered bluntly.

"Thought that's what you wanted. But it's not good to use your title as an advantage in any sort of way. Gain people's respect for who you are, not what you are; that's the way to live," Eight answered to himself. He opened the huge door to the mansion and they both stepped inside.

**Inside the mansion**

Yangus was almost overwhelmed by all the things inside. The bustling maids, the guards at ever corner, not to mention the smell of food; this place was amazing to him. Eight on the other hand, wasn't as spellbound; living in a castle REALLY makes this place uninteresting. He rushed Yangus up the stairs and soon heard-

"Mouse!"

"Munchie," Eight began.

"Don't look at me; that person's talking about someone else."

Eight looked to see that his small friend was, surprisingly, still in his pocket and before Yangus could stop him, Eight was running to the direction of the scream. His friend had no other choice but to follow him. The two tracked the scream to the attic, where they found a young blonde maid pacing nervously. "Oh, what am I gonna do? That was Miss Jessica's room! If my Mistress finds out…oh, I don't want to think about it!" The maid hurriedly ran down the stairs, not bothering to notice the two standing ever so close to the hole. But that made it much better on them; who knew how the Mistress of the house would react to two strange travelers going into her attic? Eight glanced at a nearby barrel and looked at Yangus. "Do you want to do the honors?"

Yangus cracked his knuckles and went toward the barrel.

"But whatever you do don't-"

CRASH!

"-make a racket." Eight shook his head in exasperation and dug in his pockets to grab Munchie. He walked toward a hole that probably led to the room and put the small mouse toward it. "Munchie, why don't we do that maid a favor and get that mouse out?"

The mouse scratched the back of his ear casually and then frowned. "You just want me to spy on that Jessica girl and see if I can get some information about Alistair, right?"

"It would be easier than trying to get it out of the family. It save us a hassle and them some tears."

Eight was as quick-witted as ever, Munchie noted. The mouse scurried into the hole and began to explore. "Man, I've heard dead people louder than this." The room was very quiet right now. Either the girl was a deep sleeper or something was wrong. Munchie carefully scuttled on the side of the stairs and began to look around for any living thing. There wasn't anyone in sight that he could see. Except for the gray mouse on the desk. Strangely enough, it looked like the other mouse was looking at something interesting. Munchie climbed up a nearby broom and went toward the small animal. "Whatcha lookin' that," Munchie asked the other mouse.

"A letter," it simply squeaked.

"For the person in this room?"

"FROM the person in this room." The mouse turned to Munchie. "Your owner is a traveler right? Then can he do something for me?"

That caught Munchie off guard. "Why would a mouse want the help of a human?'"

"It's a complicated story."

"I have enough time."

The other mouse sighed. It looked at the door that was the entrance of the room. "I feel bad for those kids; they don't even know," It mused lightly to itself. Then it turned to Munchie and sighed again. "The girl in this room is really nice. A little on the impulsive side, but she's nice. When she heard about her brother's death, she was so devastated. I wanted to comfort her but…well, humans don't speak mouse. Then, I saw her leave saying something about catching her brother's killer and revenge. I may be a mouse, but even I know where she went. I'm only a little guy; I can't stop her or protect her at all. But your human looks really strong; maybe he can snap her out of It." The mouse rolled up the letter and pushed it toward Munchie. "I'm not forcing him to do this; a traveler has his own important quest to do. But Jessica needs help. Please! Tell him I'm on all fours with my tail between my legs, begging him to help her! I'll give him anything he wants; even my most prized collection treasure! Just please; at least make sure she's okay!"

Munchie's eyes looked at the mouse understandingly. This Jessica girl was liked the mouse's owner. He knew if it was Eight in danger, Munchie would do everything in his power to save him too. Without another squeak, Munchie carefully wrapped the letter around his tail and scurried off to go to Eight. He had faith that Eight would accept the mouse's request. The Trodain soldier, after all, hasn't turned down a plea for help so far …

Eight looked at the letter once again, his soft black eyes showing deep concern as he reread it for the third time.

_I don't know who will find this letter…….But consider it my last will and testament. For by the time you read this, I will already be gone. I am going to the tower in the east. I will not return until my brother's death is avenged._

_Mother, I'm sorry for the damage I've caused to our family's reputation. But this is about something far bigger than tradition. I must follow my heart, no matter the consequences. Please forgive me._

_And to Bangerz and Mash, I'm sorry for lying to you. I hope you'll forgive me as well._

_**Signed, Jessica**_

Eight looked up from the grave he had been staring at and sighed. All he had wanted was an explanation about the death of Alistair. Now he was getting himself wrapped up in a family situation. He looked once again at the grave and this time bent low enough on his knees to read the words on Alistair's tombstone just by looking forward.

**To a beloved son and an admirable leader**

**R.I.P, Alistair.**

_May you find peace in the Goddess' land, my cherished brother_

Eight softly traced over the last parting words to Alistair with a finger. Jessica probably did this; with a knife, judging by the light scrapped feel that the letters had. He placed his hand together and began to pray silently.

"'Ad a feelin' you'd be around 'ere Guv."

Eight didn't look up, but he heard the shuffle of big feet and the 'thud' of knees hitting the ground. Looks like he wasn't the only one who wanted to pray for the unfortunate young man. When Eight was done, he got up to his feet; Yangus followed suit. Eight looked at the sky once again, as if an answer would come to him from the night stars.

"So are ya going to 'elp the tiny mouse, Guv?"

Eight looked at Yangus' serious face with eyes of concern. But he couldn't bring himself to answer.

Yangus could see why Eight was suddenly conflicted. He looked at the gate. "Aye Guv, why don't we go and take a little stroll, ey?"

This made the traveler smile. "Are you sure you want to meet up with those Bodkins again? They might want to take some more aiming practice."

Yangus scoffed. "I'm ready for them trouble makers now?"

Eight just shrugged after that and followed Yangus toward the gate. They weren't planning on taking King Trode and Meda with them; they need some time to think about this letter.

"This 'as Dhulmagus written all over it Guv. I can smell it a mile away."

Eight nodded absentmindedly.

"But it ain't Dhulmagus that you're worried about, eh?"

Eight now looked at his friend with a weak attempt of a smile. Yangus was getting better and better at understanding people's facial expressions. Those lessons he had given the bandit were paying off. He went back to looking at the sky, but this time he spoke to Yangus. "She'll do anything to avenge Alistair's death, huh?"  
"Seems dat way; 'e musta been one good bloke to 'ave a bird determined enough to go after a strong killer."  
Eight picked up a nearby pebble and threw it into the river. "Hey Munchie, do you have any information about Jessica and Alistair?"

Munchie stuck his head out of the pocket. "It's kind of long. You might want to sit down and make yourselves comfortable." Eight and Yangus sat on the bridge part of the burned down gates, where they ended up going to for the walk. Munchie jumped out of the pocket and went onto Eight's lap. He looked up to the sky along with his friends. "The Alexandra family is not only the rich people around the woods, they're also that village's protectors. Deep in their ancestral lines, a great sage of some sort is sealed in their spirits. Well, the boy and girl anyway. That Alistair kid, he was really popular with many of the people around there. Jessica is too, but as a child she was really shy. Alistair would probably be, what you humans consider, that girl's one true friend. It hurt her the most to learn about his death."

Eight looked down at the mouse then to Yangus. He knew it from the very bottom of his heart; he would be more than devastated if either of them died. But would he really go to the length of-

"No you wouldn't." Munchie had ran up to Eight's shoulder while the boy was still deep in thought and snapped him out of it with his sweet, wind-chimed voice. "You aren't that kind of person. Everyone has different ways of dealing with sadness."

But still, to do that?"

"Guv," Yangus interrupted "I think I can get at what she feels. If I 'ad meself a good bloke like that, I would be pretty down in the dumps 'bout it too."

Eight could now see the look in Yangus' eyes. It was dulling a bit with the hardships the bandit had to face just to reform. The knight went over to the ashes of the guards which, thankfully enough haven't been blown away.

"Guv," Yangus began.

Eight bent down and carefully took each pile in a different hand. Then he softly blew them in the wind. He watched the gray specks scatter in the wind, prayed quietly for a moment and then turned numbly back to Alexandria. Yangus didn't say a word. There was one thing Yangus learned about him during their time together. Eight's heart bleeds deeply for everyone; his compassion reaching out to all the victims that are soon to be involved in all this.

"We're going to get Jessica out of the tower. It isn't safe for her there, whether it's Dhulmagus or not."

Yangus smiled proudly to himself. Eight also followed his heart when sense just didn't bring a good enough answer. And it looked like his own heart was telling him that Eight's was on the right track…

* * *

hat's the wrap!I actually can't wait to put Jessica in the group! But I'm going in time with how the game, so it may take a little while. Oh well; I'll try not to rush. And to all those Dragon Quest gamers out there, please keep giving comment and I thank the other for their prasies and crtisum. See ya later!


End file.
